The present invention relates generally to an electrical connector and, more particularly, to a stacking connector for interconnecting traces on a pair of stacked, vertically spaced printed circuit boards.
It is often desireable to electrically interconnect the conductive traces extending to the edges of stacked, vertically spaced printed circuit boards. A stacking or laminated connector may be used for this purpose. Typically the contacts of the connector are formed with multiple bends, providing two generally U-shaped upper and lower sections joined by an intermediate section. The upper section of each contact is frictionally engaged over the edge of the upper board, while the lower U-shaped section of the contact is frictionally engaged over the edge of the lower board. The contacts of the connector are spaced apart a distance corresponding to the spacing of the conductive traces on the boards so that the contacts will make electrical engagement with corresponding conductive traces on the upper and lower boards. An example of such a connector is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,876. If the assembly is subject to substantial vibration, it is possible that the contacts of the stacking connector will become misaligned with the conductive traces on the spaced printed circuit boards, sometimes resulting in a contact bridging adjacent traces on the boards, which is undesireable. In order to avoid this problem, it is necessary to provide in the prior art stacking connector some arrangement for assuring that the contacts are held in alignment with the pairs of conductive traces on the boards, and that the connector is locked to the boards in such a manner as to retain the alignment between the contacts and the traces. Such alignment and locking means adds to the cost of the assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,521,065 discloses a printed circuit board connector, somewhat similar to a stacking connector, for connecting the traces on a pair of boards. Multi-bent contacts are mounted in the housing of the connector, each having U-shaped end sections for receiving the edges of the boards. The contacts provide electrical connection between corresponding conductive traces on the boards. In this connector, the printed circuit boards are mounted in slots in the connector housing of predetermined length and position relative to the contacts to assure alignment between the contacts and the traces on the boards. Further, the printed circuit board embodies latching arms which engage against latch shoulders on the connector housing to lock the two parts together.
It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved stacking connector for a pair of spaced printed circuit boards which is relatively simple in structure, inexpensive, and does not require additional alignment and locking hardware between the connector and the boards to assure that the contacts are properly aligned with the traces on the boards, and that the connector is retained latched to the boards.